Prefabricated tile assembly

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated tile assembly comprising a rectangular piece of tile having four layers including a top clear wear surface, a patterned layer, and colored core wherein the top clear wear surface and patterned layer have been routed to form at least two squares by cutting along the edges of the piece of tile&#39;s top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer on one long side and one short side, and across the top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer at a point halfway along the length of one long side to expose the colored core beneath giving the appearance of two or more grouted tiles is provided, along with a method of making the prefabricated tile assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No.60/675,593 filed Apr. 28, 2005. The prior application is herebyincorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the manufacture and installation ofprefabricated tiles.

2. Description of the Related Art

The closest prior art of which applicant is aware is U.S. Pat. No.6,330,774 issued to Weinstein. Weinstein provides a system comprising aplurality of prefabricated tiled panels for installation on walls,floors, and counters, and intended for interior or exterior use. Eachpanel comprises a flat, rigid base member and a number of tiles affixedto the base member with an adhesive and grouted to form a selected tiledarray. Weinstein discloses only a panel comprising a flat rigid basewith tiles affixed to the base member.

Floor-coverings that are sold to the manufactured housing andrecreational vehicle industries are judged by different criteria thanthose of the conventional home building industry. Of great importance tothe purchasers of product in these industries is the speed with which aproduct can be properly installed, due to the assembly line nature ofthis type of construction and fabrication. A modular home may only stayat the flooring station on the assembly line for 45 to 50 minutes, sothe speed at which a flooring product may be installed is significant tothe adoption or use of the product. Laying a tile floor one tile at atime is highly impractical in this scenario. Therefore, there is a needin the art for a faster-laying tile design assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a prefabricated tile assembly comprising a rectangular piece oftile having four layers including a top clear wear surface, a patternedlayer or print film layer, a colored core layer, and backing layer whichserves as a bottom surface; two long sides; and two short sides of equallength wherein the top clear wear surface and patterned layer have beenrouted to form at least two squares by routing along the edges of thetop clear wear surface and patterned print film layer of one long sideand one short side of the rectangular piece of tile, and across theintegrated design at a point halfway along the length of one long sideto expose the colored core beneath giving the appearance of a groutedtile installation when installed on the floor with other similar tiles.

A method for making the prefabricated tile assembly is also provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top view of a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1B is an expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is an expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is another expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5B shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5C shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 there is shown a first preferredembodiment of a prefabricated tile assembly 200 comprising a rectangularpiece of tile 100, preferably of polyvinyl chloride, having four layersincluding a top clear wear surface 101, a patterned layer or print filmlayer 102, a colored core layer 103 that when routed is exposed tocreate a “grouted” appearance, and backing layer 104 whose lower servesas the bottom surface 105 of the rectangular piece of tile; two longsides 106 and 108 of equal length with leading edges 110 and 112respectively; and two short sides 107 and 109 of equal length and havingleading edges 111 and 113 respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 2 it is seen that the top clear wear surface 101and the patterned film layer 102 have been routed from the rectangularpiece of tile 100 to form at least two squares 201 and 202 by routing0.3 mm out to expose the core or grout line from top clear wear surface101 and patterned print film layer 102 along the leading edge 110 oflong side 106 and the leading edge 111 of short side 109 of therectangular piece of tile 100 and vertically across the rectangularpiece of tile 100 along a line 205 running perpendicularly to long sides108 and 109 between halfway points 203 and 204 each halfway along thelength of long sides 106 and 108 to expose the colored core 103 beneathforming a prefabricated tile assembly 200 having beveled edges bevelededges 210, 212 and 211 that along with beveled line 207 gives squares201 and 202 the appearance of two square pieces of tile seamlesslybonded together.

Referring now to FIG. 3 viewing the rectangular piece of tile 100 fromlong side 108 it is also seen that the top clear wear surface 101 andpatterned print film layer 102 have been completely routed along leadingedges 110 and 111 forming beveled edges 210 and 211 and exposing thecolored core layer 103 so that the prefabricated tile assembly 200appears as if the two squares 201 and 202 have been seamlessly bondedtogether with an integrated grout line.

Referring now to FIG. 4 viewing the rectangular piece of tile 100 fromlong side 109 it is also seen that the top clear wear surface 101 andpatterned file layer 102 have been completely routed out of the leadingedge 110 of long side 109 to form beveled edge 111 and give theappearance of two pieces of tile joined by a line of grout and bondedtogether.

Referring to FIG. 5A there is shown a routing table 500 used tomanufacture the prefabricated tile assembly by pulling the rectangularpiece of tile 100 across the top of the routing table 500 by a conveyorbelt 501 to pull the rectangular piece of tile 100 through guide 502,and then moving rectangular piece of tile 100 over an industrial router503 having a height adjustable router assembly 504 utilizinginterchangeable cutting blades 505 of various widths which completelyroute through the top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print filmlayer 102 as described in further detail below. It is also seen that therectangular piece of tile 100 is next pulled over cutting blades 509 and511.

Referring now to FIG. 5B in a more detailed view of the first step ofthe method of making the prefabricated tile assembly it is seen thatconveyor belt 501 first pulls rectangular piece of tile 100 undercutting blade 504 while rollers simultaneously apply equal pressureacross the bottom surface 105 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 as itmoves over cutting blade 505 so that cutting blade 505 routes completelythrough top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 ofleading edge 210 to form beveled edge 210.

Referring to now to FIG. 5C in a more detailed view it is further seenthat in the next step conveyor belt 501 next pulls rectangular piece oftile 100 under cutting blades 509 and 510 while rollers 511 and 512apply equal pressure across the bottom surface 105 of the rectangularpiece of tile 100 as it moves over cutting blades 509 and 510. In thisstep cutting blade 509 completely routes through top clear wear surface101 and patterned print film layer 102 along a line 205 runningperpendicularly to long sides 108 and 109 of the rectangular piece oftile 100 between points 203 and 204 and forms groove 207 as cuttingblade 510 simultaneously completely routs through top clear wear surface101 and patterned print film layer 102 of the leading edge 111 of shortside 109 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 exposing the top ofcolored core layer 103 to form a beveled edge resembling a grouted line211.

Referring now to FIG. 5D it seen that the because top clear wear surface101 and patterned print film surface 102 have been routed completelythrough to expose the top of colored core layer 103 to form bevelededges 210 and 211 as well as groove 207, the completed prefabricatedtile assembly gives the appearance of two square pieced of tile joinedby a line of grout and bonded together.

It is to be expressly understood, however, that the examples shown aboveare for illustrative purposes only, and that the particular materialsand construction as well as other details are not to be construed in amanner that would unduly limit the scope of this invention.

1. A prefabricated tile assembly, comprising: a rectangular piece oftile having a having four layers including a top clear wear surface, apatterned layer or print film layer, a colored core layer that whenrouted is exposed to create a “grouted” appearance, and a backing layerwhich serves as a bottom surface; two long sides of equal length; andtwo short sides of equal length; and wherein the top clear wear surfaceand patterned layer of the rectangular piece of tile have been routed toform at least two squares by routing along the edges of the rectangularpiece of tile's top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer ofone long side and one short side, and across the top clear wear surfaceand patterned print film layer at a point halfway along the length ofone long side to expose the colored core beneath, giving the appearanceof two or more grouted tiles.
 2. The prefabricated tile assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the tile is made of plastic.
 3. The prefabricated tileassembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made of polyvinyl chloride. 4.The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made ofmultidensity fiberboard.
 5. The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1,wherein the tile is made of wood.
 6. A method of manufacturing aprefabricated tile assembly, comprising the steps of: pulling arectangular piece of tile having a top clear wear surface, a patternedor print film layer, a colored core layer, and a backing layer whichserves as a bottom surface across the top of a routing table using aconveyor belt assembly that moves the tile over an industrial routerhaving a router assembly of adjustable height with interchangeablecutting blades of various widths while applying equal pressure acrossthe bottom surface of the rectangular piece of tile to routing theleading edge from one of the long sides of the rectangular piece of tileby applying the cutting blade to the tile to cut across the top clearwear surface and patterned or print film layer to form a beveled edge;and routing the edge from one short side of the rectangular piece oftile by applying a second set of cutting blades to the tile to cutthrough the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layeralong one of the rectangular piece of tile's short side to form abeveled edge while simultaneously using a third blade to cut through thetop clear wear surface and patterned print file layer along a line drawnbetween two points halfway along each long side of the rectangular pieceof tile to rout out a groove so as to form two adjacent squares.
 7. Amethod of manufacturing a prefabricated tile assembly, comprising thesteps of: pulling a rectangular piece of tile having a top clear wearsurface, a patterned or print film layer, a colored core layer, and abacking layer which serves as a bottom surface across the top of arouting table using a conveyor belt assembly that moves the tile over anindustrial router having a router assembly of adjustable height withinterchangeable cutting blades of various widths while applying equalpressure across the bottom surface of the rectangular piece of tile androuting edges from one of the long sides of the rectangular piece oftile by applying the cutting blade to the tile to cut across the topclear wear surface and patterned or print film layer to form a bevelededge; and routing edges from one short side of the rectangular piece oftile by applying a second set of cutting blades to the tile to cutthrough the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layeralong one of the rectangular piece of tile's short side to form abeveled edge while simultaneously using a third blade to cut through thetop clear wear surface and patterned print file layer along a line drawnbetween two points halfway along each long side of the rectangular pieceof tile to rout out a groove so as to form two adjacent squares.